]]>As you may know, ZCorum provides web-based applications that gather diagnostics information from CMTS, Cable Modems and EMTAs to help cable operators support their data and voice services. In speaking with customers and prospects we had some anecdotal evidence indicating there might be a need for similar video diagnostics monitoring tools on the video side of the house.

We wanted to confirm that information, so we sent out a survey to over 150 cable operators. We asked whether they would find it beneficial to see diagnostics information from set-top boxes in the home to help troubleshoot and support video subscribers, and what types of metrics would be useful. We were also curious about the number of older set-top boxes in those networks, and what plans operators had for upgrading their legacy boxes to newer hybrid set-top box technology.

In the video below I discuss some of the answers we received from that survey.

]]>http://www.zcorum.com/set-top-box-survey-shows-need-for-video-diagnostics-monitoring/feed/0http://www.zcorum.com/set-top-box-survey-shows-need-for-video-diagnostics-monitoring/Advantages of DOCSIS Provisioning of EPoN and GPoNhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thebusinessofbroadband/~3/bsQVFKvcYAY/
http://www.zcorum.com/advantages-docsis-provisioning-epon-gpon/#respondWed, 09 Aug 2017 11:00:51 +0000http://www.zcorum.com/?p=39683As costs for fiber equipment and installation have come down, many Cable Operators are considering deploying fiber to offer the increased speeds their subscribers are looking for rather than DOCSIS 3.1. One of the challenges […]

]]>As costs for fiber equipment and installation have come down, many Cable Operators are considering deploying fiber to offer the increased speeds their subscribers are looking for rather than DOCSIS 3.1. One of the challenges for a cable operator who switches from DOCSIS to fiber is the time and cost involved in changing how they provision the device in the customer home. In the following video I talk with Peter Olivia, ZCorum’s Vice President of Systems, about the advantages of using DOCSIS provisioning of EPoN and GPoN (DPoE and DPoG). Peter explains how a transition to fiber can be done faster and less expensively by leveraging the DOCSIS provisioning system the cable operator already has in place.

]]>http://www.zcorum.com/advantages-docsis-provisioning-epon-gpon/feed/0http://www.zcorum.com/advantages-docsis-provisioning-epon-gpon/Is Internet Access a “Lifeline?”http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thebusinessofbroadband/~3/wiK2Z_tfcyg/
http://www.zcorum.com/is-internet-access-a-lifeline/#respondTue, 22 Nov 2016 21:20:55 +0000http://www.zcorum.com/?p=38149For many American families, having access to the Internet is like having water or electricity in your home; it’s just there. It’s second nature. But for millions, there is no “surfing the web from the […]

]]>For many American families, having access to the Internet is like having water or electricity in your home; it’s just there. It’s second nature. But for millions, there is no “surfing the web from the comfort of their homes” because they lack the means to be able to afford basic internet service. Some would argue that not having access creates a digital disparity for the financially disadvantaged because many are unable to tap into the useful resources that are available online. Essential tasks that are commonplace like students being able to complete homework or even looking for employment can become difficult to complete without the internet.

Earlier this year, the FCC stepped in to help bridge the digital divide by providing a broadband subsidy for low-income families through reforms made to the Lifeline program. The revised guidelines will allow families that would typically qualify for government=assisted programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to use the subsidy to obtain internet access in eligible households. Funding for the program is provided through fees that are collected through consumers’ wireless and Internet bills (mystery fees I like to call them) with a budget of around $2.25 billion being allotted. Because of documented waste and abuse of the Lifeline program as it exists, the reforms are being met with staunch opposition and growing concerns.

Hot on the heels of the FCC’s Lifeline changes, several providers have ushered in programs aimed at providing Internet access to those who are likely to benefit from the broadband subsidy. Here’s a list of some of the initial adoptees of the plan:

AT&T
With AT&T’s Access program, those who qualify are able to obtain wireline internet service beginning at 768K up to 10 Mbps depending on where the service is available within the 21 states that are covered. Fees for the service range from $5 monthly to up to $10 monthly depending on the option selected.

Comcast
Comcast’s Internet Essentials has likely been the most publicized of these affordably-based internet offerings with prices starting at $9.95 for speeds up to 10 Mbps in select states. They have reportedly connected around half a million subscribers through the program thus far and have also extended eligibility to low-income seniors.

CenturyLink
CenturyLink has a few Lifeline-based offering for low-income subscribers including Regular and Enhanced Lifeline and Internet Basics. Each of the programs have specific criteria that has to be met for a household to be eligible for the $9.95 monthly price tag.

]]>http://www.zcorum.com/is-internet-access-a-lifeline/feed/0http://www.zcorum.com/is-internet-access-a-lifeline/Broadband Usage Caps’ Increase – For the Better?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thebusinessofbroadband/~3/AFHvQ7kg6AE/
http://www.zcorum.com/broadband-usage-caps-increase-for-the-better/#respondTue, 01 Nov 2016 13:40:56 +0000http://www.zcorum.com/?p=38097When Internet Service Providers (ISPs) began doling out broadband usage caps, there were groans heard around the world from consumers that were not happy that they could no longer enjoy the freedom of having “limitless” […]

]]>When Internet Service Providers (ISPs) began doling out broadband usage caps, there were groans heard around the world from consumers that were not happy that they could no longer enjoy the freedom of having “limitless” use of their Internet connections. In most instances, if customers exceeded the imposed data usage caps (most likely monthly), their connections could be throttled to slower speeds, they could be charged a fee for extra bandwidth, or their connections could even be suspended.

So, why are data usage caps even necessary in the first place? Most providers resoundingly agree that data caps are essential to manage network congestion and to ensure that ALL customers have an enjoyable user experience. If you have a group of customers that are consistently using more data than others, those heavy users should be subjected to usage limits imposed by the provider to maintain the balance. Mediacom Senior VP and General Counsel, Joseph Young, seems to agree and equated data usage to Oreos (yes, the cookie) saying, “You have to pay extra for double-stuffed.” Interesting.

Sounds easy enough, but many customers were not buying it and continued to view the data caps as an un-necessary evil. Over the past year, the FCC has been flooded with complaints from consumers and interest groups and companies like Netflix who want to see data caps eliminated, especially with the rise in online video consumption.

The FCC’s involvement in the “data cap war” remains in limbo, but some of the big providers are stepping in and are signaling that they hear the cries of their customers and others that oppose the usage caps. Recently, AT&T and Comcast announced an increase in their data usage caps to one terabyte (1TB) monthly* for most users before restrictions are implemented. This is up, respectively, from 300 GB caps for Comcast customers and 300GB and 600GB caps for AT&T customers. Customers that remain on AT&Ts DSL network are unable to take advantage of the increased usage caps and will remain at 150GB monthly. Both of these providers also offer an “unlimited” data option for Internet users that agree to specific terms and fees for the service. This is a step in the right direction to meet customer demand.

Right now, all seems calm on the Internet usage front as both the providers and the consumers are seemingly meeting in the middle, but only time (and new Netflix titles) will tell.

*As a guideline, a consumer can watch about 600-700 hours of HD video to meet the 1TB usage limit.

]]>http://www.zcorum.com/broadband-usage-caps-increase-for-the-better/feed/0http://www.zcorum.com/broadband-usage-caps-increase-for-the-better/Tracking Down Ingress in Your Return Pathhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thebusinessofbroadband/~3/BUTS9n-QTaQ/
http://www.zcorum.com/tracking-down-ingress-in-your-return-path/#respondWed, 27 Apr 2016 11:00:45 +0000http://www.zcorum.com/?p=36506Every cable operator has a constant struggle with ingress. As external RF signals leak into the return path from various sources, that noise accumulates and funnels upstream to the CMTS. This cumulative effect can cause […]

]]>Every cable operator has a constant struggle with ingress. As external RF signals leak into the return path from various sources, that noise accumulates and funnels upstream to the CMTS. This cumulative effect can cause a significant impact on the quality of service for subscribers as it becomes harder and harder for the DOCSIS carrier to compete with noise on the plant.

One of the big challenges providers face is finding where ingress is entering the upstream plant. The most common tool used to combat ingress is a spectrum analyzer, which clearly shows when you have a noise problem. An analyzer is certainly helpful, but it doesn’t show you where the problem is. The usual method required to track down ingress in the return path is a trial and error process of disconnecting various segments of the plant to see the impact on noise levels on the spectrum analyzer. Besides being time consuming, this process is customer impacting each time a segment is disconnected. And, noise can be bursty, so by the time you get there it may be gone, only to appear later. It’s not a great way to troubleshoot noise, especially down to the subscriber level.

One of the things we do know is that 80% or more of the noise entering the cable plant comes in at the subscriber home or drop. This makes sense. It’s where you have the least amount of control and ongoing maintenance, so it’s where you will most likely have physical cable issues and loose connectors. While this bit of information narrows down likely sources of ingress, it also means a lot of potential places where noise could be leaking in. A connector on the back of a subscriber’s modem that is only a turn or two loose can be a significant ingress point. Add to that some noise from a home appliance, a radio and other sources of RF interference and the amount of ingress on the plant can quickly spike. Finding out which homes have loose connectors or other potential sources of ingress, and which ones are leaking in noise, is where the challenge lies.

Fortunately, there are new tools in the field already helping cable operators do just that. DOCSIS Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM) tools look at cable modem pre-equalization (Pre-EQ) levels to determine if there are upstream impairments in the plant like micro-reflections and group delay, and the approximate location of the problem. This can help you identify things like a bad connector, corroded center seizure screw, a squirrel chew, a bend in a cable, etc. This data is often used to target issues in the outside plant that could be customer impacting in the future. While this improves plant health and can avoid future outages, these hardline plant issues are not usually the major sources of ingress on the plant.

Click to Enlarge

But, there is another really interesting thing that you can do with some PNM tools that will help you isolate ingress down to a customer’s home. Cable modems can adjust their transmit power, and one reason they do this is to compensate for a noisy upstream. A PNM tool can take that transmit power data and correlate it with corresponding changes in the cable modem’s Pre-EQ coefficients. If there is a strong correlation between the fluctuation of upstream power levels and changes in the modems Pre-EQ data, then you can be pretty sure that you have a cable modem that is leaking in large amounts of noise. And, if that information is charted, you can see historically when those correlations occur. This solves the problem of tracking down something like impulse noise that is inherently intermittent.

So, rather than disconnecting half your plant to find a source of ingress, you can tell right from your office which subscriber homes should be looked at first to combat the problem. You might be able to clear up some problems with a simple call to the subscriber asking them to tighten the F-Connector on the back of their modem. Check out the screens on the right that one of our customers sent us. He had Upstream Analyzer pulled up on his laptop and was looking at a modem that he had identified as a source of ingress. He could see the elevated noise floor and ingress under the carrier. He called the customer and asked him to tighten the connector on his modem. After just a turn or two the Min Hold line dropped to the floor. To find out how he was able to identify which modem to look at, watch the video below. Every subscriber home where you can reduce ingress means your overall noise level on the plant lessens. This will mean better service for all subscribers on that upstream.

]]>http://www.zcorum.com/tracking-down-ingress-in-your-return-path/feed/0http://www.zcorum.com/tracking-down-ingress-in-your-return-path/WiFi Connections Gone Wild – Is Your Customer’s WiFi on Spring Break?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thebusinessofbroadband/~3/uzNGsORrGAE/
http://www.zcorum.com/wifi-connections-gone-wild-is-your-customers-wifi-on-spring-break/#respondTue, 12 Apr 2016 15:21:29 +0000http://www.zcorum.com/?p=36336When Wi-Fi technology first started taking off, people were connecting one or two devices to their Wi-Fi network. Today it’s a WiFi party with most households having at least four connected devices and planning to […]

]]>When Wi-Fi technology first started taking off, people were connecting one or two devices to their Wi-Fi network. Today it’s a WiFi party with most households having at least four connected devices and planning to add more. In addition to desktop and laptop computers, smart phones and tablets, there’s a host of new items waiting to access the Internet in both the home and office. With all these devices coming into use it’s no longer obvious what might be a source of interference in your customers’ WiFi network or even if interference is the problem.

Wireless links are now embedded in watches, shoes, MP3 players, and many other tiny consumer devices. Because of the growing dependence on all these devices, Wi-Fi interference has become a major issue in troubleshooting WiFi networks. Research reports 67 percent of all residential Wi-Fi problems are linked to that interference. Technicians troubleshooting WiFi connections for customers say interference is the biggest challenge in managing a Wi-Fi network.

With the right tools in place you can determine if interference is actually the problem when your subscriber’s internet is not performing adequately. If interference is indicated there are a number of things your techs can check to narrow down the source as they troubleshoot a subscriber’s WiFi connection. Let’s take a look at some things to watch for:

EMI or Electromagnetic Interference

Interference Outside the Home
Large satellite dishes, radio towers, and neighbors’ wireless networks are among the sources of wireless interference that can originate from outside the home. While there’s not much that can be done about these, changing frequencies to 5 GHz in order to separate from neighbors’ 2.4 GHz networks can sometimes clear things up.

The Router is Next to an Electronic Device
Your subscribers will likely have a number of electronic devices and appliances at home. Many of these devices can cause interference for WiFi signals. Everything from TVs to microwaves to refrigerators can cause the strength of the signal to be compromised or obstructed. The problem increases when the router is placed next to the television, microwave, blue tooth speakers or any other electronic device. Sometimes improving the signal is as simple as moving the WiFi router a safe distance from such equipment.

Location, Location, Location

Interference from other electronic devices is not the only problem causing poor WiFi performance. It’s important to know the most favorable positioning of WiFi routers in order to correct mistakes. Incorrect device placement will cause interference that hampers and sometimes blocks the WiFi signal entirely. When troubleshooting, watch out for some of these common placement mistakes that subscriber’s often make:

The home gateway is on the floor
WiFi signals are known to move sideways as well as downwards. So, when a router is placed on the floor you are blocking the way through which the WiFi signal travels throughout the house. If you want to get the best signals from the WiFi router, it should be placed at a certain height, which is at least five to seven feet above the ground level.

The home gateway is hiding
When the router is hidden in a closet, a cabinet or behind a bookshelf, the performance diminishes significantly. This is because a number of household materials are known to block WiFi signals. Walls with plumbing can cause significant interference, and walls with electrical wiring inside can cause some degree of interference. Even humans are known to cause interference in spreading WiFi signals. So, if you find the router is hidden, concrete walls and other hidden construction materials could be causing disturbances to the WiFi signals, and hampering its strength. Instead, the router should be placed in a more open area.

The home gateway is beside water
Your subscriber has a fish tank on a table in his house. He’s placed the WiFi router on the same table, next to the fish tank. And now he’s calling in because his WiFi signals are poor and he doesn’t have access to the Internet from all corners of the house. No, the fish aren’t the culprit. But the water is. WiFi signals are known to be obstructed by the reflection caused by water. So, it’s better not to have the WiFi router close to any container of water.

The home gateway is next to a window
We all love to sit by a window while working or just surfing the internet. It’s a nice way to be connected. But is the router there too? When the router is right beside a window, almost half of the WiFi signals are going out of the house. So half the signal is unused and out the window leaving the subscriber with just the remaining half. There’s obviously going to be poor performance in terms of WiFi connectivity. Moving the router away from the window will improve the WiFi signal.

The home gateway is in a far corner of the house
A WiFi signal needs to spread throughout the house. Only then can you count on Internet connectivity from all corners of the house. But if the WiFi router is at one corner of the house it loses the capability of spreading the WiFi signals around on all sides. A wall on one or two sides of the router can cause obstruction and the signal is not transferred. However, placing the router at a central location ensures a strong WiFi signal throughout the house.

It’s critical that you be able to determine if interference whether electromagnetic or gateway placement is the cause of slow internet complaints and to analyze the source of that interference in order to determine the best course of action. The right tools for analyzing interference can mean the difference between frustrated and satisfied subscribers (and technicians).

ZCorum’s Truvizion diagnostics software now has real-time WiFi diagnostics built right in. For a brief overview of the WiFi diagnostics in TruVizion watch this video.

Subscriber to Service Provider: “So what you’re telling me Mr. Internet Provider is that I can run my lawn sprinkler and my home security, but I can’t stream a movie at the same time?? *&%^$#

This sounds like an extreme example, but it’s not so far-fetched when you consider that estimates for IoT are 26 billion connected devices and products installed by 2020. With all of them channeling huge volumes of data traffic into data centers, you begin to get an idea of the toll on the customer experience.

The bandwidth feeding frenzy is a growing issue among service providers. This immense volume of bandwidth consumption is being brought on by a number of different sources, but two of the major contributors are the Internet of Things (IoT) and over-the-top content providers like Netflix, Hulu and Roku.

The rapid growth of IoT is changing more than just service provider strategies; it’s changing the way the world works. Gartner research expects 4.9 billion connected “things” to be in use this year alone and estimates that number will reach 26 billion within four years.

Added to that is the over-the-top content that is also seeing record growth. In 2015, Netflix grew its subscriber base by a record 4.9 million in the first quarter alone and now boasts a total base of 62.3 million. Analysts only expect this growth to continue.

And for broadband service providers facing this explosion in connected products and video content, the question is “How will you manage and deliver the high volume of data at good quality to an increasingly demanding subscriber base?”

Download the ZCorum eBook below, The Internet of Things Explained, that includes a section on the data center to get a view of what’s coming and ideas on minimizing the impact of the data flood.

Also, if you didn’t get a chance to catch up on the previous posts in this IoT series, check out Part 1 and Part 2.

Download Now

Simply complete the form below to view the eBook online now.
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]]>http://www.zcorum.com/is-your-data-center-ready-for-the-internet-of-things/feed/0http://www.zcorum.com/is-your-data-center-ready-for-the-internet-of-things/The Hold Up with the Internet of Thingshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thebusinessofbroadband/~3/gQFbAe5iP3s/
http://www.zcorum.com/the-hold-up-with-the-internet-of-things/#respondTue, 26 Jan 2016 17:42:26 +0000http://www.zcorum.com/?p=35548The term Internet of Things was first coined by Kevin Ashton in 1999, but actually, the Internet of Things goes back a lot further than merely 15 years. In fact, already in 1926, we saw […]

The term Internet of Things was first coined by Kevin Ashton in 1999, but actually, the Internet of Things goes back a lot further than merely 15 years. In fact, already in 1926, we saw the first predictions of an Internet of Things. Back then, Nikola Tesla told Colliers Magazine the following in an interview: “When wireless is perfectly applied, the whole earth will be converted into a huge brain and the instruments through which we shall be able to do this will be amazingly simple compared with our present telephone. A man will be able to carry one in his vest pocket.” Not too far off the mark for 1926!

Last week, we learned that the real IoT is a network of connected devices that talk to each other and to many other devices and programs. But there seems to be a hold up in the whole system. You can buy a lot of those devices right now, but they don’t talk to a lot of other devices and you’ll need a ton of apps to run them all.

The problem is that devices are made by all sorts of different manufacturers and each manufacturer is using their own set of protocols and their own app for the devices they make. That’s why you end up with a different app for your lawn sprinkler, another one for your thermostat and yet another one for your home security. You’re spending more time managing your apps than you save by having the devices in the first place.

What’s needed is a way to collect all the data from all your different devices no matter the manufacturer and have that data talking to the devices and issuing instructions for running your lights, appliances, sprinklers, security, etc. Call it a central “gateway” that collects and manages all the incoming data from your devices.

So let’s build a gateway, right? Not so fast, with 26 billion devices coming down the road, a central gateway couldn’t manage ten, fifteen, twenty or fifty different devices with fifty different sets of protocols. You’d have to have multiple gateway boxes with all the different protocols on your coffee table. We’re back to the multiple controller problem.

What’s the solution? The simple answer is standards. A standard technology or set of protocols for these devices needs to be developed that would allow the predicted billions of devices to be IoT functional. What’s that mean? Let’s look at an example.

If you’ve ever traveled abroad, you have to buy at least five different types of electrical adapters and transformers yet somehow you can still end up in a hotel where your cell phone charger will not plug into the outlet. Why do we need all these adapters and transformers while traveling? Because individual regions independently chose to develop their own technology and no standard was set early on.

Now, just as in the days of electrical outlet creation, getting all the manufacturers to agree to build their devices with one standard is not the no-brainer it seems it should be. Every manufacturer wants to build devices based on their own protocols and without standards set, we end up with a multitude of devices that all send their data differently and that makes it impossible for a single gateway to manage.

So let’s agree on standards! That’s the not-so-simple part. If you haven’t downloaded the eBook yet, check it out to see who’s involved and why in the IoT standards war.

Download Now

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]]>http://www.zcorum.com/the-hold-up-with-the-internet-of-things/feed/0http://www.zcorum.com/the-hold-up-with-the-internet-of-things/Internet of Things: What’s the World Coming To?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thebusinessofbroadband/~3/A1zyeoWNaoE/
http://www.zcorum.com/internet-of-things-what-is-the-world-coming-to/#respondTue, 19 Jan 2016 14:46:59 +0000http://www.zcorum.com/?p=35510Sitting with a group of people at halftime last weekend, I threw out the phrase The Internet of Things and asked them what they thought it was or would be. (Without looking it up on […]

Sitting with a group of people at halftime last weekend, I threw out the phrase The Internet of Things and asked them what they thought it was or would be. (Without looking it up on their phones!)

Some of the answers, if not exact science, were enlightening as to the expectations people have of the future.

“Everything around you will be controlled by the internet from your phone or tv.”

“The house will talk to us like in that show Eureka where the house knew everything they needed before they asked for it. And if something went wrong with the computer the sprinklers would come on during a party or they got locked out of their own house.”

“Some app will check my refrigerator, count the beer and order more and have it delivered before the game!”

“And then your refrigerator will email your insurance company that you might be drinking and driving and they’ll raise your rates.” (Ha-ha)

“We’ll finally have flying cars and robots that do everything!”

“There will be absolutely no privacy.”

Fantasy and paranoia and a dose of truth, but is it an accurate depiction of the near future?

Almost without our noticing, our reliance on IoT is growing every day. We now have Internet-enabled light bulbs, dead bolts, smoke detectors, refrigerators, mirrors, and what the world really needs internet toothbrushes. Google recently bought a networked-thermostat maker called Nest that will control your heating and cooling and maybe the sprinklers and the door locks too at some point. And while they aren’t flying yet, cars are already being connected.

IoT is setting up to change the way the world works. Next blog we’ll explore the problems that are emerging before IoT is even out of the gate.

Watch this brief interview with Scott Helms, ZCorum’s VP of Technology, as he touches on his perspective of the IoT as it relates to service providers.

And to get a better understanding of what is being hailed as the thing that will change the world as we know it, download the IoT eBook below.

Download Now

Simply complete the form below to view the eBook online now.
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]]>http://www.zcorum.com/internet-of-things-what-is-the-world-coming-to/feed/0http://www.zcorum.com/internet-of-things-what-is-the-world-coming-to/Ask an Expert: Broadband Predictions for 2016 – Part Threehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thebusinessofbroadband/~3/tJtKJmUaiVo/
http://www.zcorum.com/ask-a-broadband-expert-scott-helms-broadband-predictions-for-2016-part-three/#commentsThu, 14 Jan 2016 14:29:20 +0000http://www.zcorum.com/?p=35402Broadband Predictions for 2016 – Part Three It’s back to the future for one final set of predictions from ZCorum’s Chief Technology Officer. Broadband technology is a runaway train and you don’t want to miss […]

Broadband Predictions for 2016 – Part Three

It’s back to the future for one final set of predictions from ZCorum’s Chief Technology Officer. Broadband technology is a runaway train and you don’t want to miss it. In addition to Part 3, be sure and check out Part 1 and Part 2 of Scott’s predictions to stay on track.

Part Three presents the final four broadband technology predictions for what Scott tells us is coming to broadband for 2016. He’s usually great at predicting these types of trends, but if you think he’s miles off, leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.

8. Increased competition from traditional LTE vendors and MVNOs. We’re seeing the drive, led by Sprint and T-Mobile to sell LTE service as the only connection that customers need. The T-Mobile Binge On service is especially threatening, as it doesn’t charge customers for their OTT video usage. This has been one of the main reasons consumers held onto their wired broadband connection. I don’t believe that any of the LTE providers have the capacity today to seriously threaten subscriber counts, but if T-Mobile does well with their offering then others will copy it. Increasing the bandwidth available for base stations in populated areas isn’t so expensive that mobile carriers couldn’t morph into that kind of a threat. Operators should be aggressively finding ways to increase their connection speeds both to consumers and to OTT provider CDNs to ensure that HD and 4K video works well on their network. This will make it much harder for the mobile operators to grab video subs from any but the most casual viewers.

9. More consolidation should be expected. We’ve seen lots of activity in terms of mergers and acquisitions in 2015, and I expect that trend to continue as European operators look to invest in the North American market. Conversely North American operators are eyeing Europe. As DOCSIS 3.1 knocks down the artificial barriers in channel layout and where we split the up and downstream frequencies, we should also expect to see vendor consolidation. Vendors who traditionally targeted the EuroDOCSIS market will be going after US operators and vice versa, which will lead to vendor consolidation as well.

10. Bandwidth usage will keep going up, so CMTS/CCAP and fiber/DSL shelf expansion will be the normal mode as we try to keep up with demand. This is a good problem to have, since the alternative is for the cellular operators to be even more of a threat, but it’s still painful.

Bonus:
I expect to see some surprising new tools for operators from several vendors out this year. As we see the trend of moving away from dedicated hardware, think about how that applies to test and measurement equipment that we commonly use to troubleshoot in the field.

]]>http://www.zcorum.com/ask-a-broadband-expert-scott-helms-broadband-predictions-for-2016-part-three/feed/2http://www.zcorum.com/ask-a-broadband-expert-scott-helms-broadband-predictions-for-2016-part-three/Ask an Expert: Broadband Predictions for 2016 – Part Twohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thebusinessofbroadband/~3/elVlbN7HM4Y/
http://www.zcorum.com/ask-a-broadband-expert-scott-helms-broadband-predictions-for-2016-part-two/#respondTue, 12 Jan 2016 17:17:46 +0000http://www.zcorum.com/?p=35388Broadband Predictions for 2016 – Part Two We began this long winter month with the first set of predictions from our Chief Technical Guru. With so much to cover this year, we’re spotlighting his forecasts […]

Broadband Predictions for 2016 – Part Two

We began this long winter month with the first set of predictions from our Chief Technical Guru. With so much to cover this year, we’re spotlighting his forecasts in three posts. If you missed Part One, you can read it here.

Today, we present Part Two of what Scott tells us is coming for broadband technology trends in 2016. If you agree with him, leave a comment or let him know if it’s back to the drawing board….

5. IPv6 transition often via Carrier Grade NAT (CGN) will be a big effort for most of the operators that haven’t already started. Understanding that IPv4 and IPv6 are really different and not interchangeable is critical to making the case to executives. But once organizations come to grips with the problem, solutions are available with some effort. Operators who are still deploying bridged modems rather than those with embedded routers are creating more work for themselves later if they haven’t considered how to handle the increased IPv4 consumption.

6. More security issues will make headlines in 2016, some of which will be related to the implementation of IPv6 in our networks. This will make properly secured configurations harder, hardware more likely to have exploitable bugs, and make it harder to detect and block malicious traffic. Moving to a world with less NAT and more worldwide routable addressing in the customer premise also looks to create many more security headaches.

7. NFV and its cousin SDN will keep picking up steam. As we see efforts like AT&T’s Domain 2.0 paying dividends, more operators will want to adopt similar strategies. One of the complaints that operators have had for decades is the relative stagnation of the vendor community serving the broadband provider space. Both of these new technologies look to be a good way to make it easier for existing vendors to innovate and new vendors to enter the space.

]]>http://www.zcorum.com/ask-a-broadband-expert-scott-helms-broadband-predictions-for-2016-part-two/feed/0http://www.zcorum.com/ask-a-broadband-expert-scott-helms-broadband-predictions-for-2016-part-two/Ask an Expert: Broadband Predictions for 2016 – Part Onehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thebusinessofbroadband/~3/FqShTQh1Lpw/
http://www.zcorum.com/ask-a-broadband-expert-scott-helms-broadband-predictions-for-2016-part-one/#respondThu, 07 Jan 2016 16:20:39 +0000http://www.zcorum.com/?p=35316Broadband Predictions for 2016 – Part One In this long winter month, it’s time to present our annual installment of broadband predictions from our Chief Technical Guru. We asked Helms for another set of predictions […]

Broadband Predictions for 2016 – Part One

In this long winter month, it’s time to present our annual installment of broadband predictions from our Chief Technical Guru. We asked Helms for another set of predictions to ponder in this New Year of 2016, and we again throw the spotlight on his forecasts below.

As with everything, technology is hard to predict. It’s only when time passes that we can gauge the outcome. Helms made some valid and insightful predictions last year, and he’s holding himself accountable for those that missed the mark. Check those out to see how he did.

And, here’s Part 1 of what Scott tells us is coming to broadband for 2016 in this video interview with Rick Yuzzi. Let Scott know if you agree or if you think he’s miles off…

1. DOCSIS 3.1 deployments are moving a bit more slowly than I expected, but I do think we will have several operators with at least one production network before the end of 2016. Comcast and Liberty Global have both announced aggressive plans, and I expect many other Tier 1 operators to launch their first sites.

2. WiFi and more WiFi as we see customers rapidly moving away from wired Ethernet connections in the home. This tracks with the trend toward tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, and other connected appliances and away from PCs. Several CPE manufacturers for DSL, Fiber, and DOCSIS networks have begun marketing multiple AP solutions that look to improve coverage while not hurting performance in the way that customer purchased extenders normally do.

3. IoT will begin getting dumped in our laps as service providers. Just as we have gotten used to the questions from consumers on why their network printer isn’t working or their smart TV can’t connect to Netflix, we’re about to get hit with another round of consumer purchased gear that we’re going to be expected to support. The consumer electronics companies typically have poor end-user support, and it can be next to impossible to get through to a person in a short period of time. What’s worse, the support reps will often blame the subscriber’s home network to get the customer off the phone, which we’re more and more likely to be responsible for as the service provider. If you’re not already thinking about IoT as way to provide new services and revenue, then at a minimum you need to think about how to deal with this extra cost.

4. Cable operators getting into TR-069 in their DOCSIS plants. With the growth of on-premise WiFi and the management headaches we see from multiple APs in the home, I expect most of these devices will be managed via TR-069 since trying to relay SNMP or centrally manage them from the “main” AP is complicated and proprietary. This means that we should see more traditional “cable” companies involved with TM Forum (TeleManagement and Network Forum) than ever before.